Flexible shafting.



J. D. SGOVEL.

FLEXIBLE SHAFTING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1911.

1,030,544. I Patented June 25, 1912.

WITNESSES: 'JNVENTOR,

d 04 WW ATTORNEY.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAFH co., WASHINGTON, D- c.

iiniTnn STATES PATENT orIuoE.

JAMES D. SCOVEL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FLEXIBLE SHAFTING.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES D. SoovEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at De troit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Flexible Shafting, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to flexible shafting; it has for its object an improved construction of link element and attaching element of a flexible chain shaft.

In the drawings :Figure 1, indicates a section of the shaft and shows the means of attaching the flexible links at the one end to the driving shaft and at the other end to the driven shaft. Fig. 2, is a detail of the middle part of the link. Fig. 3, shows the three parts of a casing separated.

The principal feature of the flexible shaft consists of a link made in four parts, all the links of a shaft being similar in construction. Two forms of attaching the flexible part of the shaft to a rigid part of a shaft are shown, one shown at the upper part of Fig. 1 and the other shown at the lower part of Fig. 1.

The link construction consists of a bar 1 of wire or rod in which the ends a; and b of the wire are hooked and are brought into parallel relation with the middle part C with a connecting loop 2 at each end. The two ends a and b are spaced sufiiciently to allow another similar link to engage through the loop part 2 of the first link. This looped wire is inserted through a tubular casing made in three parts, the part 4 and the part 5 are similar in construction and each consists of a section-of a tube with a collar 6 and with a dome shaped terminal 7 split to allow the engagement through the walls of the dome of the end of the interior link to allow the loop 2 to protrude from the ends of the assembled casing. The tubular parts 1 and 5 are halved at their adjacent terminals and engage together. On the tubular parts 4 and 5 engages a shell 9 that extends substantially from the collar 6 of the part 4 to the collar 6 of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 22, 1911.

Patented June 25, 1912. Serial No. 639,888.

part 5 but turns easily on the cylindrical parts of the members 4 and 5. Preferably, the casing 9 bulges somewhat between its terminals and its wider extended central part is the part which normally engages in the tubular guard 10 that surrounds the flexible links of the chain. The tubular guard 10 is preferable made of coiled wire. An end fastening consists of a loop of wire similar to the main loop through the link, however, only a single bend for engaging with the wire of a link and with a terminal bent outward as shown at 11 of Fig. 1 to engage with a notch in a shell casing or bent inward as shown at 12 in Fig. 1 to engage in a cavity in a grooved core piece 3 which engages within an outer casing 1 1. A threaded nipple 15 which runs on to the shell 16 is arranged to hold the end of the guard casing 10.

What I claim is 1. In a flexible shaft, the combination of a bar having hook portions at each end, a two-part casing engaging over said bar and adapted to close the hook openings, each of the parts thereof being provided with collars, and a shell engaging over said casing between said collars, substantially as described.

2. A flexible shaft having in combination a bar provided with hooked ends, a two-part casing of which the parts are halved together at their meeting ends and provided with perforated dome-shaped terminals for the engagement t-herethrough of the hooked ends of the bar as loops, and a shell bulging at its middle part engaging on said twopart casing between the terminals thereof, substantially as described.

3. A flexible shaft having in combination a series of interengaging bars having hooked ends, a two-part guard for forming each bar int-o a loop at each end, a shell engaging over the meeting line of said two part guard, and means on the two-part guard for preventing longitudinal movement of the shell, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES D. SCOVEL. Witnesses:

CHARLES F. BURTON, VIRGINIA C. SPRATT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

